A Little Time Negotiation
by anxiousgeek
Summary: Sam/Keller fic. Set post episode 4.16 Trio.


"What happened to Dr. Keller?"

"Hmmm?"

It was sleepy sound that came from the bed, and Jennifer couldn't blame Sam for dozing off as soon as she had gotten into bed. After the day they'd had, she knew she would do the same. If she could just find where Sam had put her shorts in her immaculately kept, but bizarrely organised room.

She was going to forget the question, but Sam stirred in the bed and pulled herself up a little, watching the younger woman patter about in her quarters. Despite being together for a couple of months, and spending all their spare time in those months in her quarters, Jen didn't look like she belonged in the larger room. But then, Sam thought, sometimes she didn't look like she belonged in Atlantis at all, unless she was in the infirmary.

"What did you say?"

"What happened to Dr. Keller?" she repeated, coming to sit on the next to Sam, staying on the very edge and away from her broken leg. "You called me Jennifer today, I thought you were going to stick to Dr. Keller while we're on duty."

"Oh," Sam said with a frown, absently rubbing the stitch on her neck, "guess in the heat of the moment I forgot."

"I was talking about before we left."

"Oh," Sam frowned, "I don't know then."

"O-kay."

"I don't like calling you Dr. Keller," she confessed. "I like calling you Jennifer." The young doctor shifted closer to her on the bed and kissed her. "Does it matter?"

"No, not at all!" Jen said, quickly reacting to Sam's defensive tone.

"Sorry," the Colonel said, "I didn't mean to snap."

"You're tired. We're both tired," Jen said, brushing a hand over Sam's cheek. "As soon as I find my shorts, we'll get some sleep."

"Second draw on the left," Sam said, smiling. Jennifer was at her most confident in doctor mode, when she was caring for someone. For Sam. Her words were strong, solid, Sam was still prying that side out of her personality, in private. She watched her change into shorts and a camisole, wishing briefly that she wasn't so tired, at the sight of her skin, but feeling exhausted right down to her broken bone.

"You know it's not fair right?" Jen said, climbing into the the bed next to Sam. She curled up to next to her, wrapping her arms around her, resting her head next to hers on the pillow.

"What isn't?"

"You can call me Jennifer all day, but I still have to call you Colonel."

"You don't have to," Sam said, her voice lower in the darken room.

"I know, but it sounds better doesn't it, and keeps any suspicion out of the picture."

"True," Sam murmured. "It should be okay though, it's not like we have pet names for each other."

"Like honey, or babe?" Jen said with a laugh.

"Yeah."

"I can't imagine you calling anyone babe."

"I don't think I ever have," Sam said, with a chuckle.

"Me either."

Sam yawned, settling back into her pillows. It had been a hell of a day, but she was pretty happy, though, she suspected that the pain meds had something to do with that. Ten years in the Stargate programme and morphine still packed a punch. Even at the low dose Jennifer had given her, worried about her tolerance of the drug, of her over use, maybe her abuse of it too, if she was honest about it. Dating your doctor was a terrible idea, she knew that, but Jennifer was sweet and pretty and Sam was a sucker for cute doctors.

"Night Jen," she whispered, feeling the exhaustion taking over.

"Night Sam," the doctor replied, kissing her on the cheek, "a couple of weeks off and you'll be alright."

Sam laughed.

She tried to hide it at first, holding it in, a few chocked chuckles escaping through her fingers as she put her hand over her mouth. When she couldn't contain it any longer, she laughed loud, struggling to breathe.

"What's so funny?" Jen asked, completely confused.

"Two-" Sam managed to get out one word before laughing again, "two weeks off?" she spluttered.

"Yeah."

"I've only broken my leg Jen."

"It's a bad break Sam, and we all went through hell back there."

"That was nothing."

"Well, maybe not for you, but it was still rough, right?" Jen said, slightly offended. "I only let you out of the infirmary because I knew I'd still be able to watch over you."

"I don't need the time off Jen," Sam said, with a chuckle, "but it's sweet of you."

"I'm serious, you need time to heal."

"I can heal in my office. Or maybe even in a lab. I've been desperate to get into a lab," she said, "I'm not planning on any more trips off world."

"I just think you need to take it easy on that leg."

"And I will, I promise, but I'll be fine working, it's not like I have a head injury."

"I'm just worried about you Sam." The blonde smiled and kissed Jen sweetly, wishing she was free to turn and hold her close, wrap her arms and legs around the younger woman.

"I've been injured a lot worse than this, a lot more times too, I've died a couple of times too. A broken leg really is nothing for me, I can look after myself."

"I know you can, but you have me now, I can look after you. And I'm a doctor."

Sam wanted to laugh, but wanted to cry to. And push the young woman into the sheets and make her cry out.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"At least take a couple of days off. Both Rodney and I are."

"Deal."

"Good," Jen smiled against her skin, then kissed her.

"We really need to work on your negotiating skills," Sam mumbled, closing her eyes.

"I have been," she said laughing, "I didn't think I'd even get you to take a day off."

"Damn," Sam muttered, with a grin. "You've sussed me out already."

"Not completely," Jen yawned, "but getting there."

"Yeah. Getting there."


End file.
